A Gram-strain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, motile, endospore-forming, slightly halophilic bacterium, designated strain 126C4(T), was isolated from sediment from the East China Sea. The strain was catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Optimal growth occurred at 28-30 degrees C, pH 7.0-7.5 and in the presence of 3-5% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, showed that strain 126C4(T) was a member of the genus Paraliobacillus, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Paraliobacillus quinghaiensis YIM-C158(T) and Paraliobacillus ryukyuensis O15-7(T) of 96.2% and 95.3 %, repectively. The DNA G+C content was 39.6 mol%. The strain contained MK-7 as the sole respiratory quinone, anteiso-C (15: 0), C-16 : 0, iso-C-15 : 0 and iso-C-16 : 0 as the major cellular fatty acids, and its polar lipid pattern compriseddiphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, three glycolipids and four unknown phospholipids. On the basis of its phylogenetic position, phenotypic traits and chemotaxonomic characteristics, it is suggested that strain 126C4(T) represents a novel species of the genus Paraliobacillus, for which the name Paraliobacillus sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 126C4(T) (=KCTC 33762(T) = MCCC 1H00136(T)).